JP6680912B2 - Method and apparatus for converting wire mesh rivets into wire mesh insulators - Google Patents

Description

Description of related application

  This application claims the priority right based on the United States provisional application filed on November 28, 2008 (2008), and filed Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-538637 on November 19, 2009 (2009). Is a divisional application of the divisional application of Japanese Patent Application 2016-171046 filed on September 1, 2016 as

  The present invention converts wire mesh rivets for use in providing thermal and / or acoustical shielding, particularly for heat shields employed in vehicle exhaust systems, into wire mesh insulators for thermal insulation. A method and apparatus.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-242242, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses an integral wire mesh insulator, which comprises a wire mesh sleeve in a hole of a substrate, for example, a heat shield of an exhaust system of a vehicle. Then, the sleeve portions extending on both sides of the board are compressed into a collar larger than the hole so that the wire mesh cannot be inserted or removed at the hole, and then the desired insulator is inserted. Is formed. The resulting monolithic insulator, as detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,049, presents difficulties resulting from assembling multiple parts in a manufacturing environment, as well as shipping the assembled heat shields to vehicle manufacturers. It solves many of the problems associated with multi-piece insulators, including the problem of detachment of insulator parts during operation and / or use of the heat shield.

  In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, since the collar portions are formed simultaneously on both sides of the substrate, one similar molding device is required on each side of the substrate. For many applications, the use of such a device is well accepted. However, some applications limit the available space to only one side of the substrate. In particular, the heat shield plate has a concave portion side and a convex portion side, the concave portion side has a limited space, and in particular, the volume on the concave portion side is limited in the vicinity of the hole in which the insulator is arranged.

  FIG. 1 shows a typical embodiment of a heat shield plate 7 applied to a vehicle, a plurality of holes penetrating these heat shield plates being indicated by reference numeral 9. In this figure, the insulator 11 is attached to some of the plurality of holes. As is apparent from FIG. 1, the volume of space available for mounting a single insulator is limited for various hole positions. In particular, the space volume is limited on the lower side (recess side) of the hole located near the top of the raised portion of the shielding plate. When a device of the type disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used, it is difficult to form the collar portion on the wire mesh in such a limited space volume.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0219860

  According to some aspects, the present invention solves this problem of forming wire mesh insulation under conditions where the space available for making the collar of the insulation is limited. In connection with both these and other aspects, the method and apparatus of the present invention seek to not only facilitate the attachment of the insulator on the substrate, but also reduce the associated costs.

  According to a first aspect, the invention provides a rivet (13) having a central hole (21) and a collar (15) and a rivet (13). An integral wire mesh structure (19) with a shank (17) is provided, in which case the average density of the collar (15) is greater than the average density of the shank (17), for example the collar The ratio of the volume of the wire forming the flange to the volume of (15) is about 20%, and the ratio of the volume of the wire forming the shaft to the volume of the shaft (17) is about 10%.

According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a rivet (13), the rivet comprising:
(A) an integral wire mesh structure (19) having a central hole (21) and having one flange (15) and one shaft (17), and (b) at least a part of the central hole A metal insert (23) in (21),
Is equipped with
In that case, said metal insert (23) comprises a wall having an outer surface, said outer surface being at least 2 for engaging a wire mesh of a central hole (21) of said integral wire mesh structure (19). It is provided with individual openings (27).

According to a third aspect, the invention provides a means for sequentially feeding rivets one by one, the feeding means comprising a plurality of openings (33) and a plurality of these openings (33). 33) One strip of flexible strip (31) having at least one wire mesh rivet (13) in one of which is provided with one collar (15). ) And one shank (17), the opening (33) holds the shank (17), and the flange (15) is pushed through the opening (33). A plurality of flexible fingers surrounding the periphery, each opening (33) being formed in the flexible strip (31) by a plurality of slits (37). (35), in which case,
(A) the number of flexible fingers (35) per opening (33) is between 3 and 16, and (b) the aspect ratio of each flexible finger (35) is 1. It is in the range of: 1 to 3: 1, for example 1.6: 1.

According to a fourth aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for forming a wire mesh insulator (11), the apparatus forming (a) a cavity in which the wire mesh is compressed. A sleeve (55) having a position for engaging one substrate, and (b) determining when the sleeve (55) is in a position for engaging the substrate. One sensor,
Equipped with
In that case,
(1) The molding device avoids compression of the wire mesh before the sensor (57) notifies that the sleeve (55) is in a position to engage the substrate, and (2) The force exerted by the sleeve (55) on the substrate (7, 65) when the sleeve (55) is in a position to engage the substrate is less than 10 pounds (4.5 kg).

According to a fifth aspect, the present invention provides a device comprising a sleeve (47) and a wire mesh rivet (13), said wire mesh rivet (13) having The sleeve (47) is provided with a recess (49) for accommodating the flange (15), the sleeve (47) having the diameter (OD _collar) of one piece. An outer surface having a maximum diameter of OD _sleeve at the location of the recess, in which case OD _collar and
OD _sleeve
OD _sleeve / OD _collar ≦ 1.1
Will satisfy the relationship.

According to a sixth aspect, the present invention provides a method of making a wire mesh rivet (13) having one collar (15) and one shank (17), the method comprising: Is
(A) providing a single wire mesh tube (73) having a central hole,
(B) Replace this tube (73) with
(1) The first portion of the tube (73) has a fixed bottom surface (77) and a movable wall (79) which is, for example, a spring-biased wall, inside a first cavity (81). And (2) insert one shaft (71) into the center hole of the tube,
Support by
(C) surround the second portion of the tube (73) with a second cavity (83),
(D) by compressing the second portion of the tube (73) while reducing the volume of the second cavity (83) and substantially reducing the volume of the first cavity (81). Forming the collar portion (15) of the rivet,
(E) reducing the volume of the first cavity (81) through movement of the movable wall (79) with respect to the fixed bottom surface (77),
Including steps,
In that case, the second part of the tube (73) is arranged so that the second part of the tube (73) is the same as the first part of the tube (73) so that the density of the collar part (15) is higher than the density of the shaft part (17). Compressed to a greater extent than the part.

  The reference signs used in the various aspects of the invention described above are for the convenience of the reader only and are intended to be so construed as limiting the scope of the invention. not. In general, the above general description and the following detailed description should be understood as merely illustrative of the present invention and are intended to provide an overview and framework for understanding the nature and features of the present invention. .

  Further features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following detailed description, some of which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon practice of the invention as described herein. Ah The accompanying drawings are provided for the purpose of further understanding of the present invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. It should be understood that the various features of the invention disclosed in this specification and the drawings can be used in any combination.

It is a perspective view of a typical heat shield plate in which a wire mesh insulator is used. 1 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a wire mesh rivet constructed according to some aspects of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a wire mesh rivet with a metal insert in the form of a grommet, the grommet having multiple protrusions that engage the wire mesh rivet structure. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a wire mesh rivet with a metal insert in the form of a grommet, the grommet having an opening that engages the wire mesh rivet structure, and in this figure extends through the entire wall thickness of the insert. The opening is shown. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a wire mesh rivet with a metal insert in the form of a sleeve, the sleeve having openings to engage the wire mesh rivet structure, wherein the insert penetrates the entire thickness of the insert. The opening is shown. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a wire mesh rivet having metal inserts with openings, the openings penetrating the entire thickness of the wall of the insert, the figure showing the engagement of the wire mesh with the openings. There is. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a metal insert in the form of a grommet, the grommet having an opening extending halfway through the thickness of the insert wall. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a metal insert in the form of a grommet, the grommet having an opening extending partway through the thickness of the insert wall. It is a perspective view of the strip | belt-shaped body which carries several wire-mesh rivets and supplies this rivet sequentially. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the strip of FIG. 8 sequentially supplying rivets showing a plurality of flexible fingers used to engage the shank of the wire mesh rivet. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an apparatus for molding one wire mesh insulator from one wire mesh rivet in the hole of the heat shield plate. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the wire mesh insulator forming apparatus of FIG. 10 with various parts removed to reveal features of the lower positioning assembly. FIG. 11 is a side view, partly in section, of a part of the positioning assembly on the lower side of the wire mesh insulator molding apparatus of FIG. 10. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the upper molding assembly of the wire mesh insulation molding apparatus of FIG. 10. FIG. 11 is a side view showing the use of strips for sequentially supplying rivets to provide the wire mesh rivets to the wire mesh insulator forming apparatus of FIG. 10. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing forming multiple insulators on a single heat shield plate without having to reposition some. FIG. 6 is a perspective cross-sectional view of an example of a wire mesh insulator produced from wire mesh rivets. FIG. 6 is a perspective cross-sectional view of an example of a wire mesh insulator produced from wire mesh rivets. It is sectional drawing which shows the tool which shape | molds one wire-mesh rivet from one wire-mesh tube, and the said tool is an open position in this figure. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing the tool of FIG. 17 in the initial closed position. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the wire mesh tube at this time in a process. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the tool of FIG. 17 at the time of the collar part of a rivet having been formed. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the wire mesh tube at this point in the process. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the tool of FIG. 17 at the time of forming both the collar part and shaft part of a rivet. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the wire netting tube at this point in the process, that is, the completed wire netting rivet.

  As mentioned above, in connection with some aspects thereof, the present invention provides a wire mesh rivet for use in forming a wire mesh insulation. FIG. 2 shows a typical structure for such a rivet. As shown in the figure, the rivet 13 has (a) a hole 21 and (b) an integral wire mesh structure 19 having a collar portion 15 and a shaft portion 17. This integrated wire mesh structure, and if necessary, a large number of parts can be combined to form an integrated structure, but it is preferably formed of continuous parts made of wire mesh.

  For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the wire mesh rivet 13 preferably includes a metal insert 23 extending partway along the central hole 21. The metal insert 23 may be in the form of a grommet (see FIGS. 3, 4, 6, and 7) having a collar 24 that engages the collar 15 of the integral wire mesh structure 19 or may be a It may be a simple sleeve not provided (see Fig. 5). In both cases, the main function of the metal insert 23 is to prevent the wire mesh from being over-compressed when the heat shield is mounted on the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 16, such a mounting structure involves the insertion of fasteners 67 into the holes of the insulator to be assembled and fastening to vehicle components, for example to the exhaust system of the vehicle. Considerable torque is generally applied to the fixture to ensure that the heat shield does not loosen during use. Therefore, the wall of the metal insert needs to have sufficient strength as a post to withstand the resulting compressive forces.

  The metal insert can be simply placed inside the holes of the integral wire mesh structure, but the shipping and handling of rivets and / or assembled insulation prior to final assembly of the heat shield. Preferably, the metal insert engages the wire mesh structure therein to minimize the chances of the metal insert falling off the collar of the wire mesh structure. FIG. 3 shows a plurality of protrusions 25 formed on the outer surface of the metal insert for this purpose. Although the method using the protrusions is satisfactory, it is relatively expensive because it is necessary to remove a considerable amount of metal (for example, 80% or more) from the shaft portion where the protrusions are formed.

  4-7 show another method for locking a metal insert that is inserted into an integral wire mesh structure, which is significantly cheaper in terms of metal price than the method using the protrusions of FIG. . According to this method, at least two openings are formed in the outer surface of the wall of the metal insert. During manufacture of the rivet (see below), a wire mesh (see, eg, reference numeral 29 in FIG. 6) enters into the opening, which secures the metal insert and the sleeve substantially together.

  The opening may extend completely through the wall of the metal insert, as indicated by reference numeral 27a in FIGS. 4-6, but in the middle, as indicated by reference numeral 27b in FIG. It may extend to. The opening that extends completely through the wall can be made by piercing, while the opening that extends part way through the wall can be made by broaching.

  Broaching is generally cheaper than drilling. In addition, since the opening formed by the broaching operation extends only partway through the wall of the metal insert, the wall retains most of its original strength as a pillar, which means that the heat shield plate It is important in that it withstands the compressive forces applied to the metal insert when it is secured to the support structure. For both of these reasons, openings that extend only part way into the wall of the metal insert are generally preferred.

  The average wire mesh density of the collar portion of the wire mesh rivet is higher than the average wire mesh density of the shaft portion. In particular, the average wire mesh density of the collar portion is substantially equal to the average density of the completed insulator, but the average wire mesh density of the shaft portion is considerably smaller than the average density of the completed insulator. In this manner, the shaft portion is compressed after being inserted into the hole of the substrate (for example, the hole of the heat shield plate) to form the second flange portion having the density (see below) of the completed insulator. can do.

  Quantitatively, the ratio of the average density of the rivet shank to the average density of the rivet shank falls within the range of 1/3 ≦ (average shank density) / (average shank density) ≦ 1/2. Yes, preferably within the range of 1 / 2.5 ≦ (average density of shaft part) / (average density of collar part) ≦ 1/2, most preferably (average density of shaft part) / (average of collar part) The value of (density) is about 1/2. The density of the collar depends on the particular application. Generally expressed as a percentage, the ratio of the volume of the wire forming the collar to the volume of the collar of the rivet is in the range of 15% to 25%. Therefore, the ratio of the volume of the wire forming the shaft portion to the volume of the shaft portion is generally in the range of 7.5% to 12.5%. The ratio of the volume of the collar portion and the volume of the wire forming the stem portion to the volume of each of the collar portion and the stem portion is preferably about 20% for the collar portion and about 10% for the stem portion.

  As is known to those skilled in the art, the ratio (D) of the volume of the wire forming this wire mesh portion to the volume of the wire mesh portion, expressed as a percentage (D), is calculated by the following. That is, (1) the weight (W) of the member is measured, (2) the volume (V) of the member is measured, (3) the density (ρ) of the wire forming the wire mesh is measured, and (4) etc. From the formula D = 100 × (W / (V × ρ)), the ratio of the volume of the wire forming this member to the volume of this member is calculated.

  The density difference between the collar and shank of the rivet can be achieved using a machine tool of the type shown in Figures 17-20. FIG. 17 comprises a rolled wire mesh tube 73 arranged over one shaft 71 and in this case a metal insert 23 with a protrusion arranged above the wire mesh tube 73 on the same shaft. The tool 70 is shown in the open state. FIG. 18A shows the upper molding sleeve 75 that descends onto the shaft 71 to (a) push the metal insert 23 into the wire mesh tube 73 and (b) mold the collar 15 of the wire mesh rivet 13. In this step and the next step, the bottom surface of the wire netting tube is supported by the stationary member 77. FIG. 18B shows the shape of the wire mesh tube at this point in the process.

  FIG. 19A shows an upper molding sleeve 75 that molds and compresses the collar 15 from the upper portion of the wire mesh tube. It should be understood that what happens here is that as the upper molding sleeve 75 descends, it entrains the wire mesh just above the spring-biased sleeve 79. In particular, a spring-loaded shoulder on the top of the sleeve 79 prevents downward movement of the wire mesh tube. The lower the upper sleeve is, the more wire mesh will penetrate onto the sleeve that is biased by the pulling, preventing further movement of the wire mesh tube, especially the shaft of the wire mesh, in the axial direction. As a result of this step, the densities of both the collar portion and the shaft portion are increased in such a manner that the density of the collar portion increases more than the density of the shaft portion. FIG. 19B shows the resulting structure.

  In FIG. 20A, the upper sleeve continues to descend further, but in this case the upper sleeve overcomes the spring (not shown) of the sleeve 79 which is biased by the pulling. As a result, the shank of the wire mesh tube is further compressed to its final density. FIG. 20B shows a completed wire mesh rivet 13 with a rivet collar 15 having a greater density than its shank.

  If a metal insert having an opening 27a extending completely through the wall of the metal insert is used, the shaft 71 prevents the wire mesh from flowing into the central hole of the rivet as the collar 15 is formed. It should be noted that That is, the wire mesh enters the opening but is prevented from entering the center hole of the rivet by the shaft 71. Even when the opening portion 27b that extends only part way through the wall of the metal insert is used, the wire mesh enters the opening portion 27b as the flange portion is formed.

  The wire mesh forming the wire mesh structure can be composed of various materials, and these materials can be subjected to various treatments (including coating) before or after being formed into the wire mesh. Examples of suitable materials and treatments include, but are not limited to, carbon steel, 300 and 400 series stainless steel, tin coated carbon steel, zinc coated carbon steel, and galvanized carbon steel. . The wires forming the wire mesh can have various cross-sectional shapes including, but not limited to, circular, hexagonal, octagonal, square and flat. The wire mesh may be other types of wire mesh, such as woven and stretched wire mesh, if desired, but braided wire mesh is preferred.

  These wire mesh rivets are preferably attached to a means for sequentially feeding the rivets prior to being provided to a user such as a heat shield plate manufacturer. Figures 8 and 9 show a suitable arrangement for a strip that feeds such rivets one by one. As is clear from these figures, the band-shaped body 31 is provided with a plurality of openings 33 that accommodate the shaft portion 17 of the rivet 13 and have a size that allows the collar portion to be pushed through. These openings 33 are provided with a plurality of flexible fingers 35 formed on the main body of the belt-shaped body by a plurality of slits 37. As is apparent from FIG. 9, a strip 31 of rivet feeding is used to feed the strip to an insulator forming device, such as the device 39 of FIGS. 10 and 11 described below. A plurality of notches 38 can be provided.

  As explained below, the rivet feeding strip facilitates the automated process of converting the wire mesh rivet into a wire mesh insulator. The rivet feeding strip must meet a number of competing criteria per se. First, the strip must hold the rivet sufficiently tight so that the rivet does not slip or fall out of the strip during transport and handling. Generally, the strips are spirally wound in a shipping container and are taken out one by one directly from the container. Therefore, it is preferable that the strip is sufficiently flexible to be wound in a spiral shape while minimizing the displacement and the falling of the rivet when wound in a spiral shape. Secondly, it must be easy to supply the rivets one by one from the strip. In particular, the rivet must have sufficient strength so that it is not bent by the force applied to the rivet when it is supplied one by one. Such bending is undesirable because it can cause some or complete loss of engagement of the strip with the strip feed mechanism. Third, the band must be inexpensive as it can be a disposable item.

  In fact, the number and aspect ratio of the flexible fingers 35 are important parameters in order to satisfy these criteria for a strip of a low cost plastic material such as plasticized styrene. It turns out. Therefore, less than three flexible fingers will result in unacceptable results as well as aspect ratios less than 1: 1. On the other hand, more than 16 flexible fingers will result in unacceptable levels of rivet shedding from the strip, as well as aspect ratios of greater than 3: 1.

  Therefore, the number of fingers 35 per opening is preferably in the range of 3 to 16. For the aspect ratio of the individual fingers, this parameter is preferably 1: 1 to 3: 1, for example 1.6: 1. These ranges are, for example, for wire mesh rivets having dimensions suitable for use in forming wire mesh insulators for vehicle heat shields, for example, shafts and collars having an outer diameter dimension of about 14 mm each. And 22 mm wire mesh rivets have been found to work successfully.

  Here, the process of producing the wire mesh insulator from the wire mesh rivet will be described briefly. In the wire mesh rivet 13, the shaft portion 17 of this rivet is inserted into the hole in the substrate 65 (for example, the hole 9 in the heat shield plate), The collar portion 15 is engaged with one surface of the substrate (the surface on the near side of the substrate), and then a part of the shaft portion extending beyond the surface on the far side of the substrate is compressed to generate a second portion. The collar portion 63 (see FIG. 16) is formed. If the densities are not equal, an insulator having unsatisfactory thermal and / or vibration characteristics may be formed, so that the flange portion 15 on the near side of the finished insulator 11 and the flange portion 63 on the far side may be formed. Have approximately equal densities. Both the near and far collars also generally have approximately equal outer diameters and thicknesses, but need not be equal (see, for example, the two collars in FIG. 16).

  In Patent Document 1 cited above, both the far and near flanges are formed at the same time, but in this case, the same molding device is required on both sides of the substrate. Depending on the structure of the heat shield plate (see FIG. 1), it is difficult to dispose the molding device on the concave side of the heat shield plate because the available space is limited. The use of a wire mesh rivet with a pre-formed collar provides a forming device for placing the rivet in the hole and holding the rivet in place while forming the collar on the opposite side of the substrate. This problem is eliminated as it only requires a less bulky device compared to.

  10 and 11 show an exemplary insulator molding apparatus 39 having the advantages of this aspect of the invention. The apparatus comprises an upper molding assembly 41 and a lower positioning assembly 43. It should be noted that the "upper" forming assembly and the "lower" locating assembly are referred to as such for convenience of description only, and the locating assembly and the forming assembly are It should be understood that they may be reversed, or that angles other than vertical may be oriented, eg horizontally, if desired.

  FIG. 10 shows the insulator molding apparatus 39 in use, and FIG. 11 shows the same apparatus with the heat shield 7 removed with most of the upper molding assembly 41. With respect to the lower positioning assembly 43, it is clear from FIG. 11 that the volume of the device is limited.

FIG. 12 shows the lower positioning assembly 43 in more detail. As can be seen from this figure, this assembly contains two main parts, a mandrel 45 which engages the holes 21 of the wire mesh structure 19 of the rivet, and a collar 15 which is preformed on the rivet and which comprises And a sleeve 47 having a recess 49 for maintaining the shape of the collar 15 when the collar of the wire mesh is formed on the opposite side. By lowering the difference between the outer diameter (OD) of the sleeve 47 at the height position of the recess and the outer diameter of the collar 15 formed in advance, the lower positioning assembly when viewed from the substrate side. The occupying area of the wire mesh rivet itself is not so large. In fact, the outer diameter OD _sleeve of the sleeve 47 can be kept within 110% of the outer diameter OD _collar of the collar of the rivet, ie OD _sleeve / OD _collar ≦ 1.1. Such a small footprint for the lower positioning assembly greatly facilitates the formation of wire mesh insulation on substrates having curved surfaces, such as the various heat shields of FIG.

  FIG. 13 shows the upper molding assembly 41 in more detail. This assembly includes a mandrel 51 that engages holes 21 in the rivet wire mesh structure 19 and, in use of this assembly, descends to the position shown in FIG. A packing 53 which compresses in the region, i.e. in the cavity 56 defined by the inner wall of the sleeve 55, to form a second collar of the insulator, i.e. the collar on the upper side of the heat shield of Figure 10. Have and. During the formation of this second collar, the mandrels 45 and 51 of the lower locating assembly and the upper molding assembly include the entire length of the rivet and its insulation when the finished insulation is formed. Keep the holes open along. As mentioned above, the recess 49 in the sleeve 47 of the positioning assembly 43 constrains the shape of the collar 15 to remain unchanged as the molding assembly 41 molds the second collar. The result of these constraints imposed by the two mandrels and this recess is the formation of a finished insulator with well-defined outer and inner diameter dimensions and two collars with approximately equal wire mesh density. To be done.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the molding assembly 41 preferably comprises a sensor 57 for detecting the position of the sleeve 55, for example a proximity switch. This sensor is connected to the control system by an electric wire 59 (see FIGS. 10 and 11). This control system allows the mandrel 51 and the packing 53 to move towards the substrate only if the sensor indicates that the sleeve 55 is in the most advanced position, ie the control system causes the sleeve 55 to move. Only allows the mandrel 51 and stuffer 53 to advance when engaged with the surface of the substrate, which prevents the operator's hand from contacting the mandrel and stuffer. The sleeve 55 itself is lightly biased by a spring so that its operation does not harm the workers of the insulator molding apparatus. In particular, the force exerted by the sleeve on the substrate is less than 10 pounds (4.5 kg). In this way, the molding device does not require the light curtain or similar means necessary to ensure that the device does not operate when the operator's hand is approaching the device, without injuring the worker. I'm avoiding that. If necessary, two or more sensors for detecting the position of the sleeve 55 may be used in order to allow the protection means a margin.

  Although not shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, it is preferable to use a strip 31 for sequentially supplying the rivets one by one in order to supply the wire mesh rivets to the insulator forming device. FIG. 14 shows such an embodiment. In particular, this figure shows a positioning assembly 43 that removes one wire mesh rivet 13 from the strip 31 and then moves it up and inserts it into a hole (not shown) in the substrate. The molding assembly 41 (not shown in the figure) then compresses the rivet shank 17 to form the second collar 63 of the completed insulation 11.

  FIG. 15 shows an embodiment in which a large number of insulators are formed at various positions on a single substrate (for example, a single heat shield plate) without changing the positions of components. As is apparent from this figure, the support structure 61 connects the plurality of upper molding assemblies and the plurality of lower positioning assemblies to the heat shield plate 7 so that an insulator can be formed in each hole of the heat shield plate. Supported in place with respect to. The plurality of insulators can be sequentially formed (for example, individually or in a set) as needed, but simultaneous formation is preferable. Although not shown in this figure, it is preferred that a plurality of rivet feeding strips be used to provide the respective wire mesh rivets to the plurality of lower positioning assemblies.

  It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the above description that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, although the invention has been described in terms of a heat shield for use in a vehicle exhaust system, the invention may be used in many other applications where thermal and / or acoustic insulation is desired. it can. Similarly, the invention is not limited to the particular types of heat shields shown here, but may be used with other heat shields now known or hereafter developed. it can. The invention can also be used in single-layer metal substrates, or in more complex substrates with multi-layer metal substrates, or in combination with metal layers and non-metal layers such as ceramic or glass fibres. The following claims are intended to cover these and other variations, modifications and equivalents of the embodiments disclosed herein.

7 Heat Shield Plate 9 Holes in Substrate (eg Heat Shield Plate) 11 Assembled Wire Mesh Insulator 13 Wire Mesh Rivets 15 Wire Mesh Rivet Collar 17 Wire Mesh Rivets Shaft 19 Wire Mesh Rivet Integrated Wire Mesh Structure 21 Integral Wire Mesh Structure Hole 23 Metal insert 24 Collar of metal insert 25 Protrusion on metal insert 27a Opening extending through the entire thickness of the wall of the metal insert 27b Opening extending partway through the wall thickness of the metal insert 29 Wire mesh in the opening of the metal insert 31 Strips for sequentially supplying rivets one by one 33 Sequentially supplying for each rivet one by one 35 Opening for opening rivets one by one Flexible fingers for strips 37 Strip-shaped slits that sequentially supply rivets one by one 38 Strip-shaped feeders that sequentially supply rivets one by one Denotch 39 Insulator molding device 41 Insulator molding device molding assembly 43 Insulator molding device positioning assembly 45 Positioning assembly mandrel 47 Positioning assembly sleeve 49 Positioning assembly sleeve recess 51 Molding assembly Mandrel 53 Molding assembly filler 55 Molding assembly sleeve 56 Cavity formed by inner wall of molding assembly sleeve 57 Molding assembly sensor 59 Wire for sensor 61 Support structure for insulator molding equipment 63 second brim portion of wire mesh insulator 65 base plate 67 fixing tool 69 exhaust system component 70 rivet forming tool 71 rivet forming tool shaft 73 wound wire mesh tube 75 upper forming sleeve of rivet forming tool 77 rivet A second cavity of the first cavity 83 rivet shaping tools of being biased by the spring of the stationary member 79 rivet shaping tools of the forming tool sleeve 81 rivet shaping tools

Claims (21)

In a method of converting a wire mesh rivet into a wire mesh insulator for a heat shield,
The heat shield plate,
(I) a hole,
(Ii) At the position of the hole, a concave side (hereinafter referred to as a concave side of the heat shield plate) and a convex side (hereinafter referred to as a convex side of the heat shield plate) are provided,
The wire mesh rivets
(I) a shaft at one end,
(Ii) a collar portion at the other end,
The method is
(I) inserting the shaft portion of the wire mesh rivet into the hole of the heat shield plate in a state where the flange portion of the wire mesh rivet is on the concave side of the heat shield plate;
(II) a step of molding the shaft portion of the wire mesh rivet as a second collar portion on the convex portion side of the heat shield plate,
(A) a molding assembly that compresses the shaft portion to mold the second flange portion;
(B) using a positioning assembly that places the wire mesh rivet in the hole and holds it in place without compressing the shaft.
(I) The wire mesh rivet has an integrated wire mesh structure,
(Ii) the average density of the collar portion of the wire mesh rivet is larger than the average density of the shaft portion of the wire mesh rivet,
(Iii) In the step (II), the positioning assembly is on the concave side of the heat shield plate, and the molding assembly is on the convex side of the heat shield plate.   The space available on the concave side of the heat shield plate for mounting the wire mesh insulation is limited compared to the space available on the convex side of the heat shield plate. Method.   The method of claim 1, wherein the holes are located near the top of the raised portion of the heat shield.   The method according to claim 1, wherein an area occupied by the positioning assembly when viewed from the heat shield plate side is smaller than an area occupied by the molding assembly. The positioning assembly comprises a sleeve, the sleeve comprising a recess for receiving the collar of the wire mesh rivet, the _sleeve having an outer surface having a maximum diameter at the recess of the OD _sleeve. , The maximum diameter is
OD _sleeve / OD _collar ≦ 1.1
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the relationship is satisfied, where OD _collar is the outer diameter of the collar.   The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning assembly removes the wire mesh rivet from the strip.   The strip includes a plurality of openings sized to retain the shank of the wire mesh rivet and allow the collar of the wire mesh rivet to be pushed through the opening. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the portion comprises a plurality of circumferentially flexible fingers formed by a plurality of slits in the strip.   The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning assembly maintains the shape of the collar of the wire mesh rivet when the second collar is molded by the molding assembly.   The method of claim 1, wherein the second collar has a density approximately equal to the density of the collar of the wire mesh rivet.   The method according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the average density of the collar portion of the wire mesh rivet to the average density of the shank portion of the wire mesh rivet is in the range of 1: 2 to 1: 3. Before converting said wire mesh rivet wire mesh insulator when expressed as a percentage, the ratio D _collar of the volume of the wire material constituting the flange portion of the wire mesh rivet to the total volume of the flange portion is from 15% 25 %, And the volume ratio D _shank of the wire material forming the shaft portion of the wire mesh rivet to the total volume of the shaft portion is in the range of 7.5% to 12.5%, and The volume ratios D _collar and D _shank are
D _collar = 100 × (W _collar / (V _collar × ρ))
D _shank = 100 × (W _shank / (V _shank × ρ))
Is calculated from the formula
D _color : Ratio (percentage) of the volume of the wire material forming the collar portion to the total volume of the collar portion,
W _collar : Weight of the collar portion of the wire mesh rivet,
V _collar : Volume of the collar portion of the wire mesh rivet,
D _shank : Ratio (percentage) of the volume of the wire material forming the shaft portion to the total volume of the shaft portion,
W _shank : the weight of the shaft,
V _shank : Volume of the shaft portion, and ρ: Density (weight / volume) of wires forming the integral wire mesh structure.
The method of claim 1, wherein   The wire mesh rivet has a central hole, and at least a portion comprises a metal insert within the central hole, the metal insert comprising a wall having an outer surface, the outer surface comprising a wire mesh of the central hole. The method of claim 1, comprising at least two openings for engaging. In a device for converting a wire mesh rivet into a wire mesh insulator for a heat shield plate,
The heat shield plate,
(I) a hole,
(Ii) At the position of the hole, a concave side (hereinafter referred to as a concave side of the heat shield plate) and a convex side (hereinafter referred to as a convex side of the heat shield plate) are provided,
The wire mesh rivets
(I) a shaft at one end,
(Ii) a collar portion at the other end, the collar portion having an average density higher than the average density of the shaft portion,
The device is
(I) In the state where the brim portion of the wire netting rivet is on the recess side of the heat shield plate, the wire mesh rivet is arranged on the recess side of the heat shield plate for inserting the shaft portion into the hole. A positioning assembly configured to
(II) Molding configured to be arranged on the convex side of the heat shield plate in order to mold the shaft portion of the wire mesh rivet as a second collar portion on the convex side of the heat shield plate. And an assembly for the device.   14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the positioning assembly is configured to hold the wire mesh rivet in place without compressing the shank.   14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the positioning assembly is configured to maintain the shape of the collar of the wire mesh rivet as the second collar is molded by the molding assembly. The positioning assembly comprises a sleeve, the sleeve comprising a recess for receiving the collar of the wire mesh rivet, the _sleeve having an outer surface having a maximum diameter at the recess of the OD _sleeve. , The maximum diameter is
OD _sleeve / OD _collar ≦ 1.1
_14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the relationship is satisfied, where _ODcoll is the outer diameter of the collar.   14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the positioning assembly is configured to remove the wire mesh rivet from the strip. In a device for converting a wire mesh rivet into a wire mesh insulator for a heat shield plate,
The heat shield plate,
(I) a hole,
(Ii) At the position of the hole, a concave side (hereinafter referred to as a concave side of the heat shield plate) and a convex side (hereinafter referred to as a convex side of the heat shield plate) are provided,
The wire mesh rivets
(I) a shaft at one end,
(Ii) a collar portion at the other end, the collar portion having an average density higher than the average density of the shaft portion,
The device is arranged on the recess side of the heat shield plate for inserting the shaft portion of the wire mesh rivet into the hole while the collar portion of the wire mesh rivet is on the recess side of the heat shield plate. A positioning assembly configured to include a sleeve, the sleeve having a recess for accommodating the collar of the wire mesh rivet, the sleeve having a maximum at the location of the recess. _Has an outer surface having a diameter of OD _sleve , said maximum diameter being
OD _sleeve / OD _collar ≦ 1.1
_Which satisfies the following relation, wherein OD _collar is the outer diameter of the collar portion.   19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the positioning assembly is configured to hold the wire mesh rivet in place without compressing the shank.   19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the positioning assembly is configured to maintain the shape of the collar of the wire mesh rivet when the shank is molded as a second collar.   19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the positioning assembly is configured to remove the wire mesh rivet from the strip.

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